[Stormster]

So do we REALLY need use shampoo on our "Junior Toddler"

We have had a few skin issues and our pedi derm is very anti product. She couldn't believe it when I told her I washed E's hair every day! (With newborn shampoo). It is pretty funny considering he still has the finest baby chicken hair in the world but I always thought ok during a shower we wash our hair!

So now I do it in threes: one bath I wash, next I just rinse and on the third I don't touch his hair at all. Gosh I sound very OCD. Anyway....

Now that we are OUT of all the Mustela stuff and new Mustela is not in the budget what is a very very gentle shampoo. And do I really even need to use shampoo?

I now use Aveno Baby in the bath. I really do wonder if he could just get bathed with water!? He has mild eczema on his legs and sensitive skin blonde blue.

Thoughts? Should I just ask the pderm?

[ocracoke]

What I would say is that you should not get into a routine without paying attention to what is actually needed. If your child needs hair washed every day then do it but the less product the better in my opinion. My daughter is a completely different race then your son ... she is almost 4 now and she showers (yes showers! -- she insisted that she was too old for regular baths now and wants to shower) about 2-3 times a week. During these showers she uses very little product on her body. Some days is just a rinse. And she washes her hair with a mild natural product (with my help of course) about 1 time a week. But that is what works for her. Try different routines with him to see when he needs the bath and when he needs the products and only use them then.

JMO,
Samantha

[OakShannon]

Well . . . since he is a toddler and presumably getting into the dirt and smearing his food everywhere he probably needs to be washed with a very mild soap and shampoo occasionally. But probably not as often as you've been doing it.

I don't wash Daniel with soap every day because it dries out his skin and I only wash his hair weekly - or less - for the same reason. If he gets sticky or dirty more often than that, I'll stick him in the tub and give him a good rinse without soap. He looks and smells sweet and clean to me! Maybe you could wash E with mild soap 1-2 times a week and shampoo his hair only if it really seems to need it. Especially if it is as fine and thin as you say. If Daniel's thick curls can stay clean with infrequent shampoos, I don't see why E's hair can't.

[Stormster]

Okra great advice. Bath time is something I've been fairly consistent about. I can count on one hand how many days he HASN'T had a bath but it's as much about fun time and relaxation as anything. Still, I love the idea of using what he needs on that day and using small amounts.

I can't imagine him missing baths now that he's a playground machine. He's a mucky pup as my DH says. He's always 100% of the time the dirtiest kid on the playground and I'm not sure if that's down to him or me letting him run too wild! Anyway, thanks for the sound advice.

Thank you!

[Stormster]

Originally Posted by OakShannon

Well . . . since he is a toddler and presumably getting into the dirt and smearing his food everywhere he probably needs to be washed with a very mild soap and shampoo occasionally. But probably not as often as you've been doing it.

I don't wash Daniel with soap every day because it dries out his skin and I only wash his hair weekly - or less - for the same reason. If he gets sticky or dirty more often than that, I'll stick him in the tub and give him a good rinse without soap. He looks and smells sweet and clean to me! Maybe you could wash E with mild soap 1-2 times a week and shampoo his hair only if it really seems to need it. Especially if it is as fine and thin as you say. If Daniel's thick curls can stay clean with infrequent shampoos, I don't see why E's hair can't.

EXACTLY you are both right. Still not sure what kind of shampoo to get then? What is the mildest one?

[OakShannon]

I use shampoo for AA kids, and I'm guessing Okra does too. But maybe your pedi-derm can give you a good suggestion?

[crystalp]

I was told to use cetaphil on my eczema prone kids, and then slather them with lotion afterwards. I think the lotion was Eucerin? I also found that Aveeno lotion with the menthol in it worked really well. It had a blue cap, and I think it was called Aveeno Skin Relief lotion.

Good luck!

[Stormster]

Our doc loves Cetaphil. She's a dictator about using it.

But his Eczema is not bad at all so I kind of pushed it and started using the Aveeno Bath Soothing (it has oatmeal or whatever). I can't help it it's so boring just using Cetaphil and his skin is fine now.

I NEVER use Lavender and really it is BAD. We used it for six months and then I found out it can create problems. Everyone should know about this, you can PM me for the studies.

I wonder if you can just use a tiny bit of whatever you are using on his body for his hair? I mean he's basically bald anyway.

[fisbaby]

I bath little man every other day usually and use Aveeno soap (has sensitive skin too) and then just whatever shampoo, right now we have Gerber Grins and Giggles. I don't think his hair could go with only being washed one time a week but he has super thick hair....not even a year old and getting his 4th trim today, only it's going to be a big cut not trim this time!

[4everwaiting]

The advice above sounds perfect!

Baby shampoos in general are not gentle on skin or hair as the manufactoring companies imply... It is gentle on eyes because it is the same ph level (7.5 I think) as our eyes, therefore creating "no more tears". Which is hard on the skin...

I have extremely dry skin so bathing with harsh soaps or ones with high fragrance cause me to break out. The derm I went to last year said Aveno was "one of the best over the counter soaps on the market"... I imagine Aveno shampoos to be about the same. We live in FL it gets hot, sticky and sweaty so I shower 2-3 times a day during the summer... He suggested showering with cool water, only soap "the necessities", use Aveno lotions or oils after shower and pat try, not rub...

I would think it would be about the same for hair, shampoo only when needed and use a shampoo gentle on the skin such as Aveno...

S

[aclee]

http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/

There ya go...it will open your eyes to what's really gentle, and what only says it is.

FYI, I'm super anti the no tear shampoo's. They are hard on kids skin.

As far as retaining moisture on dry skin after the bath, I had a long talk with NP about it. I don't like using anything with a petrolium product on The Bear. he has sensitive skin and it is dry. Thought I was doing the right thing. Turns out that most lotions, which are made of mostly water, will not seal in the moisture that he gains by taking a bath. If you want to seal in the moisture, you use lotion on the damp skin and then something else to seal it. I was trying to use olive oil, but it was like wrestling a greased water melon trying to get the kid in a diaper and dressed. Now I put lotion on over damp skin (usually it's Palmers with some olive oil in it) then I use Aquafor that I've warmed in my hands and I spread a very small amount over his skin, but not his face. I know the stuff isn't good, but you can't believe how much his skin has changed. Ashyness around the elbows is gone.

I would try burts bees stuff for E though. It's middle of the road expense wise. Or you can just do the Aveeno bath and body wash and use it in the tub, and diluted as a shampoo. Ty is a messy Bear with all the foods he's been eating, and I still don't use shampoo. I use an organic conditioner only...conditioner might be too heavy on E's fine hair though.

[feelingreyt]

I use Johnson & Johnson baby head 2 toe for my kids. They don't have skin problems and it works great for them. I still use Johnson's lotion on youngest ds and Curel on the 2 older ones if they do seem alittle dry at times.
We generally bathe the kids 4-5x a week. They get their hair washed everytime. I also use a mild conditioner.
My ason had blonde hair blue eyes, light complexion, yet his hair is and has always been a coarse texture. His bmom is the same way. My 2 bios have brown hair green/hazel eyes and fine hair!

[Stormster]

Seriously Aclee I might put olive oil on E and try to change him just for a Youtube video. If it wasn't so dangerous it would be a laugh.

Hmmm maybe on the floor!

Yeah E's hair is so fine he's really kind of bald on top. OK he is bald. Bald as a ping pong ball bald. Just on top. When I put sunscreen on his bald spot he looks like a nice Jewish boy in a white Yarmulke (I think I spelled that right, I'm astonished).

So I don't know why I"m even having a conversation about shampoos when I should be looking for a baby toupee!

[ourdreamcametru]

Castle has very long hair and it is getting really thick. I only used shampoo, Johnson's, once a week when she was a baby and now that she is four we still only shampoo once a week but every night we put conditioner on and clip it up while she plays. We use all Aussie products and love them!

[mommy3]

My children all have various levels of eczema and we've NEVER used soap or traditional shampoo. Now I've found that several of the ingredients in most shampoos, including Aveno and other "friendly" children's and adult shampoos contain these products. We do use Cetaphil if we need soap, but have found that a long soak and washcloth/scrunchy light scrub gets off lots of grunge, amazingly. For shampoo, I only use California Baby Sensitive Skin and it's been superb. When my children are little, baths are their thing, not showers, and they can only handle a bath every other night due to skin concerns. Still, our plan and these products have done the trick. (I do use an organic leave-in conditioner when they need it, as well.) -- susan